don't get me wrong: i understand why everyone praises the atmosphere of this game, but i want to point out the gameplay as well being really unique! every puzzle had a different feel to it, something new. it keeps you on your toes right until the end.

that said, i didn't go into this expecting a story-heavy experience, but it delivered on that front wonderfully. the off-beat, almost space funeral-esque dialogue juxtaposes well with the moments of real thought-provoking conversation. it paints a picture of the future that isn't devoid of hope, just one that has a huge amount of systemic work to be done. despite everything, their failing bodies being replaced with metal parts, the nagging sense that there's more for them in the world, they still have their dreams to hold onto. and walking around, feeding them, you can feel it affecting the world. i was surprised to find people appreciating the cooking work being done: the player character is shown to have considerable skill with a pan. i guess it's all they can really do. but it's nice to see it appreciated.

really cool time! i spent way longer on it than i should have (i am bad at video games) but it would have been a good value either way.

what a beautiful game.

it starts out slow -- the action limit seems like a bigger deal than it is, and once you start leveling up it quickly becomes a non-issue. what follows is that you start to unfold this huge, colorful world filled with characters of all shapes and sizes, and a story that lets you take it at your own pace.

the time management aspect feels fairly natural and while there are times where you're stuck waiting (the end of the game i was skipping through weeks just to finish the last sidequest) it starts to feel less and less exhausting as you take in more of the world around you. part of me wishes some of the ui was better, particularly in shops: you can only buy one of an item at a time, meaning if you want a stack of them you have to mash the A button for a good while. but you start to realize it's not about hoarding, about grinding the fishing to get money (you can actually make it through the game without ever donating to hager, which i wish i had looked into sooner). i mean, sure, i could buy a hundred octolips and never have to walk anywhere again. but i'd miss the sounds of the birds, the ambient background tunes. the wind in the valley. flora's song in the town. the crickets.

is it hard? yes. will you need a guide? most likely. will it make you feel like a genius for completing a puzzle by yourself? absolutely.

so go and save those animals! talk to plants! build a rocket! survey robots! buy some records! (buy all the records. make a little playlist of your favorites and share it with me.) get wasted on an island full of musical monkeys! talk to little mushroom creatures in a foreign language! have a drink with wanda. catch some fish. smell the roses.

collect all the love you can. wring out every little drop, every ounce of it. and when you do, when you've loved as hard as you can, shut the game off. but never stop loving.

this game is very good at throwing philosophical conundrums at the player. there's definitely a lot of good discussion to be had about the morality of the player's choices. the aesthetics are insane -- it feels like all this tech shouldn't work so well underwater, but it creates a vibe that's totally unique. puzzles were never too difficult and i usually could figure out where to go by just bashing my head against every door. that ending... damn... what a ride!! this was a treat to get to play and i was enthralled by every second